Motor Test Unit Performs Comprehensive Analysis

Feb 14, 2007 2:39 PM

A benchtop motor testing instrument from Avelly conducts comprehensive in-depth servo motor analysis. The 3320A Servo Motor Analyzer measures 15 motor parameters such as torque constant, motor constant, rotor friction, moment of inertia, as well as winding resistance and inductance.

The analyzer provides much more information than a standard pass/fail test. The unit can also generate a number of plots including a family of torque vs. speed plots.

Supported motor types include small- to medium-sized brushed- and brushless-dc permanent magnet motors. The motor analyzer is a fully integrated unit, which can sit on a benchtop or in a 19-in. rack.

Other functions of the analyzer include the ability to test encoders and commutation sensors, such as Hall effect sensors. For example, the 3320A can produce a plot showing how well a commutation sensor is aligned to the motor's back-EMF and report the exact angle of misalignment. This is an important feature since malfunctioning or misaligned sensors can reduce torque output and cause excessive motor vibration, noise and loss of efficiency.